Chapter 274: Salamence

Watching as the female Garchomp also flew away, Julian couldn't help but notice that her direction was different from where the male Garchomp had gone.

Dragonite: "The dragon community is a mess"

Gible: "I just watched my mom and dad leave me behind, leaving me as the only dragon left here..."

Seeing the sadness and reluctance in Gible's expression, Julian stepped forward and patted the little dragon on its big round head.

"They didn't abandon you—they entrusted you to me. From now on, you'll stay with me, and one day, your strength will surpass that of your parents."

Still, Julian couldn't help but wonder if the Garchomp couple had given him Gible just because of the Pokeblocks.

After patting Gible's head, Julian looked down at his hand, now red and slightly sore. He was close to tears.

'Darn it! I forgot this guy's ability is Rough Skin'

"Alright then"

Julian said as he took out an empty Poké Ball and lightly tapped it on Gible's head.

A few seconds later, the ball settled quietly, signaling that Gible was officially his now.

Releasing Gible back out of the Poké Ball, Julian decided there was no need to keep the little Pokémon inside since the Dragon's Den was an ideal environment for it.

With Gible on his team, Julian finally felt somewhat assured about his safety. At the very least, the little dragon could probably protect him from falling rocks or stray tree branches during battles.

'Probably...'

Looking at the small Gible, Julian felt a flicker of doubt creep in.

At level 20, Gible had already surpassed the stage of being considered weak. Most Pokémon that left their parents were around this level.

That night, Julian stayed there but the Garchomp couple didn't return.

Happily munching on its special energy blocks, Gible had already forgotten all about its parents. The sadness and reluctance from earlier were nowhere to be seen.

The next morning, after completing his daily task, Julian continued his climb, accompanied by Dragonite and Gible.

After a full night's rest, Dragonite's injured wrist had completely healed, leaving no scars behind.

The effects of a Full Restore were astonishing—Dragonite's wrist had nearly been broken, and yet it had healed perfectly in just one night. Who would believe that?

Meanwhile, Gible ran ahead excitedly. The rugged mountain path was like flat ground to it, and its spirits were high. In fact, it had woken Julian and Dragonite up with its enthusiasm early in the morning.

Having never left its territory since birth, Gible was exploring other Dragon Pokémon's territory for the first time.

Instead of being scared, it seemed more curious and fascinated.

Julian had climbed to an altitude of 7,000 meters on Dragon Mountain by now. The temperature had dropped below freezing, and the surroundings were blanketed in snow.

This kind of environment wasn't particularly appealing to Dragon-type Pokémon. At the very least, Gible wasn't as cheerful as it had been earlier.

Afraid of the cold, Gible was now nestled in Julian's arms.

Its face, however, bore a mixed expression of discomfort and delight.

As they ascended higher, the density of Dragon-type energy in the air increased.

While the temperature had dropped, it only affected lower-level Pokémon like Gible.

For Dragonite, the cold didn't bother it at all. On the contrary, the chilly air seemed to invigorate it further.

The rich Dragon-type energy in the surroundings made Dragonite feel as though it was soaking in a hot spring, every pore of its body radiating comfort.

Perhaps due to the dense energy, Gible's level quietly rose from 20 to 21. Without doing anything, it had leveled up.

If they stayed here for ten days or so, it wouldn't be surprising if Gible evolved into Gabite.

It was no wonder that Dragon Mountain had become a landmark of the Dragon's Den secret realm, with its treasure at the summit.

With Dragon-type energy this abundant, even a moderately gifted Pokémon could grow strong simply by sleeping here.

"Let's stop for lunch"

Julian said, pointing to a flat boulder nearby that could serve as a makeshift table.

Hearing the word lunch, the dozing Gible in Julian's arms instantly perked up.

For Gible, nothing was more exciting than mealtime.

"Here"

Julian handed it a specialized energy block, which Gible devoured in one gulp. It then looked at Julian with expectant eyes, clearly hoping for more.

"No way. From now on, you're only getting one per meal," Julian said firmly, shaking his head.

'Too much of a good thing can be harmful'

Gible's energy blocks were already packed with nutrients. Normally, eating two wouldn't be an issue.

But with the environment saturated in Dragon-type energy, Gible was passively absorbing it without even trying.

Its body was still too small and fragile. If too much energy accumulated without being released, it could harm Gible instead.

Thus, Julian decided to limit the energy blocks.

Dragonite, on the other hand, had no such concerns. Its deep reserves of power only benefited from the battles along the way, which continuously pushed its potential further.

Dragonite's body craved more energy, not less.

Though Gible seemed a little disappointed, it didn't throw a tantrum, which Julian found reassuring.

By 5 PM, Julian and Dragonite had climbed to an altitude of 8,000 meters.

As they reached this height, a Dragon-type Pokémon began circling overhead.

Its blood-red wings glowed ominously against the setting sun, resembling the fiery hues of twilight.

"Salamence," Julian murmured softly.

Dragonite immediately took to the skies, rising to meet Salamence at a distance of five to six hundred meters.

The two Pokémon hovered in the air, gazing at each other from afar.

'A Salamence at the peak of the Elite-tier,' Julian's heart sank.

Considering the strength of Dragon-type Pokémon on Dragon Mountain, their combat capabilities often exceeded their level by a small tier.

If a late-stage Elite Pokémon could fight at peak Elite strength, then this Salamence, at peak Elite tier, likely had combat power rivaling a pseudo-Champion.

Although Dragonite had grown significantly in Dragon's Den, its current limit was peak Elite tier.

If Salamence truly possessed pseudo-Champion level strength, Dragonite's chances of winning were slim—even with Julian's guidance.

If Metagross was here, a victory might be possible with Mega Evolution.

Dragonite's greatest disadvantage was its lack of a Mega Evolution form. If it had one, there might still be hope.

Julian glanced at the Peak Elite Experience Card lying in his system inventory.

'If it comes down to it, I'll have no choice but to use this'

"Roar!"

Salamence let out a furious roar, its blood-red wings slicing through the air and leaving a crimson afterimage.

There was a deafening boom, and before Julian could react, Dragonite was already hurtling toward the ground like a comet.

With a crash, Dragonite smashed into the earth, scattering debris in all directions. Seeing this, Julian quickly pulled Gible away from the area to avoid the flying rocks.

His confidence in this battle wavered even further. Dragonite had been overwhelmed in a single exchange.

Julian glanced at the trembling Gible in his arms and sighed.

'I was counting on you to protect me, but it seems I overestimated you'